Fight Between Parents Breaks Out During Kindergarten Graduation in Arkansas

Balloons were flying as smiling kids wearing graduation caps filled an Arkansas elementary school— that is until a brawl involving parents stole the shine from a kindergarten graduation. Now, the school district has pledged to hold every adult involved in the violent incident accountable.

A graduation is the last place you’d expect to see violence, but on Wednesday (May 28), adults attending a ceremony at Faulk Elementary School in West Memphis, Ark. got wild. Video of the incident was taken by Aleicia Evans and posted to Facebook.

In the clip, several adults can be seen engaging in a heated exchange before shoving began between two male attendees. From there, it didn’t take long for multiple women involved to start pushing and throwing punches. This led to a full out melee in the middle of the school hallway. It’s unclear what exactly led up to the fight.

Soon, wigs were ripped off and shirts were torn. Children in the back could be heard crying and begging for the fighting to stop while other adults in the crowd started leaving the scene. Eventually school staff were able to separate the culprits. But even though no serious injuries were reported, the school district has launched an investigation into the matter.

“We have our own camera system with sound, so we have gathered all that. Obviously, we are a small community, so we have the names. We’ve presented those names to the local law enforcement,” West Memphis School District Superintendent Eric Foister said. “They are now doing their investigative process, and we’ll just wait and see how the legal system plays out,” he continued.

So far, five adults have been identified in the brawl, according to Fox 13 News. “You come into our buildings and you put the safety and well-being of our students and staff in jeopardy? I’m going to hold you to the fullest accountability I can working with our local law enforcement. I’m going to press any and all charges that I can,” Foister promised.

The superintendent also banned the five individuals from the school, effective immediately. In a statement, the district said, “We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and secure environment at all of our schools.”